Nasferas: The Begotten

32

Aleese's warm blood dripped from Davidar's fingers. The crimson bubbles splashed against the transfer ramp. Both of their medical personnel, Ralia and Misha, had been taken by the soldiers. This left the question, who would take care of the injured family members? He also knew he should be carrying his brothers back to the ship, but dared not to look at his sobbing mother.

Amid the horrific scene, between his location and the entrance to the ship, someone coughed. Blood and vomitus sprayed from his cousin's twisted mouth as he struggled to sit up.

"Fladir?" Davidar wiped his hands on his flight suit and scrambled up the ramp.

With a jolt, Fladir sat upright. The bullet had struck his left temple and exited through his right cheek. His jaw hung to the side as if it had been ripped off its hinge. Blood and spittle oozed from the hole in his cheek. Another wail of pain escaped him.

A hint of steam floated from the entrance wound in his head. Blood seeped back into the hole and the skin stitched together. He pushed his jaw into place. A moment later, the skin mended. He jutted his chin in and out and wiggled it back and forth.

"How are you ... alive?" Davidar crouched next to his captain. "A moment ago, your face was gone." He poked Fladir's chin.

Fladir batted Davidar's hand away. "What happened?" His voice said the words but didn't sound surprised. Neither did his demeanor.

Does he care at all?

"We were attacked," Ranloo said from behind. "They used some light to incapacitate you and opened fire."

Fladir's eyes settled on Tarisha and the twins. "Where are the rest of us?"

Davidar sighed. "You and Aleese are the only survivors. Mother and I were speaking with the humans. We couldn't do anything. But they did help us. Treylor and both of my brothers didn't survive. Ralia, Misha, and one of the humans have been kidnapped."

"What?" Fladir stood but wobbled.

Ranloo helped him sit. "Be careful. It looks like you got hit in the head. Do you have any idea what happened?"

Fladir trickled his fingers over where the bullet had hit him. "No clue."

Davidar wasn't buying it. Fladir knew something.

Treylor flipped over and bucked a couple of times before he crawled to his hands and knees. He coughed, and a bullet clinked against the ramp. Several more shot out of his mouth in the next fit.

"Where's Aleese?"

Davidar helped Treylor stand. He looked at his back and stuck his finger in one of the five bullet holes. Beneath the torn fiber, he found pristine black skin.

"Dram! Alek!" Tarisha helped the boys sit up.

"Treylor!" Aleese stood at the entrance of the ship.

The betrothed met halfway, embraced and kissed.

Davidar joined his mother and hugged his brothers. "What happened?"

"We became paralyzed," Dram said.

"Yeah," Alek intervened. "Those lights. No matter what I did, I couldn't move."

"They didn't hurt," they said in unison.

Dram pulled a bullet from inside his flight suit and flicked it into the forest. It zinged off a rock.

"Let me try." Alek picked a piece of lead from the ramp.

"Boys, be careful." Tarisha pointed at the humans walking toward them. "You could hurt someone."

The twins stared at the humans. Their eyes grew wide and started to turn black. Dram dropped to his knees and spat up blood. Within the blood spatter, Davidar saw something solid. At first, he thought it was another bullet. When he took a closer look, he saw a tooth.

Davidar looked at his mother. "Get them back onto the ship. Their hunger is winning over their logic."

"Dram. Alek. Back to the ship," Tarisha ordered. "We should all go inside and discuss what happened."

Dram growled.

Tarisha snapped her finger and pointed up the ramp. "Now." When their mother spoke, they had no choice. Davidar's brothers reluctantly returned to the ship.

"Davidar, stay with me."

"Yes, Mother."

"The children approach. We've developed a rapport with them. Let's see what they need."

Davidar nodded.

Several of the humans had retreated up the ridge side. The couple, Matt and Eve, walked toward them through the meadow. Jimmy Boy had taken to watching the skies. Their heart rates increased with every step they took. Davidar thought it strange they beat in different intervals; the boy's louder and stronger than the girl.

"You guys need some help?" Matt called out.

"We're okay, except two of us were taken with your sister." Davidar walked around a coagulated pool of blood.

"Seriously?" Eve asked. "We watched them kill everyone."

"Where are they?" Matt let go of Eve's hand and gawked at the blood-stained snow.

Davidar helped his mother take the last step from the ramp. "They returned to the vessel."

"Are you sure they're not hurt?" Eve had a genuine concern in her voice, even more so in her eyes.

Tarisha nodded and smiled. "I think the perpetrators wanted to scare us. They did abduct two of our family members."

"We can take you to a phone and you can call someone. We're going to call the police as soon as we get back to Marcie's." Matt continued his search of the area.

"What's Marcie's?" Davidar asked. He hoped to get Matt's mind off the crime scene.

"It's a gas station and country store. They call it Marcie's because it's named after the woman who owns it."

Eve took Matt's hand and marched him up to Tarisha. "We should go as soon as possible. If we wait too long, who knows how far they'll get with our family members."

Davidar?

Mother?

You should go with the children. Find out what the local authorities can do to help. We will wait here and check if the ship's radars picked up anything. If it did, we may be able to track the helicopter.

Davidar nodded in silent concurrence.

"Davidar will go with you to this ... store. We will stay here for now and wait for your return." Tarisha turned and went back to the ship, disappearing into the hull.

Remember, Davidar. You are not like them. You are faster and stronger. Mind what you show them. Your abilities may frighten them.

"Lead on." Davidar motioned forward.

"Wait!" Dram made his way down to them. "I'm coming with you."

Davidar watched his mannerisms. He didn't seem like he wanted to tear into the human's throats.

It's okay. I said he could go with you.

Are you sure it's safe?

He has orders not to touch any human. But I do want you to have someone with you. Dram is the least invasive of us and will prove to be a good backup.

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